Vapor-burning apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. KITSON. VAPOR BURNING APPARATUS.

No. 598,491. Patented Feb. 1, 1898.

l I I 'l v I I I [I I HI Z 8 6 '3 4 .2 E a l i 44 29 31 g [r16 30 I f I 21 WITNESSES:

o Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. KITSON. VAPOR BURNING APPARATUS;

No. 598,491. Patented Feb. I, 1898.

ARTHUR IIITSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KITSQN HYDROCARBON HEATING AND INOANDESOENT LIGHTING COH- PANY, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. I

VAPOR-BURNING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,491, dated February 1, 1898. Application filed July 12, 1897. Serial No. 644,303. (No model.)

T ctZZ whom it mar/p concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR KITSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vapot-Burning Apparatus, of which the following is a full and complete specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying draw 1ngs.

My invention relates more specificallyto vapor-burning lamps, thoughits many advantages are manifest also in the burning of vapor for the production of heat and power.

Vapor-bu rners in which kerosene-oil, naphtha, or other hydrocarbon is vaporized by the heat of the burner and the vapor thus formed mixed with air or gas to form a more combustible compound and this supplied to the burner are old in the art, as shown by United States Patent No. 385,673, granted to me July 3, 1888. It has also been proposed to use the well-known form of incandescent mantle on such burners, as is described in United States Patent No. 545,398, granted to O. E. WVhite August 27, 1895, but certain practical difficulties and disadvantages have been met heretofore. The employment of the ordinary form of mixing-chamber in which the vaporizing-tube discharges into a resonant metallic vessel in some cases has resulted in the production of an unpleasant hissing sound during the operation of the lamp. To

overcome these disadvantages and to obtain other improved methods of operation and construction, hereinafterto be set out, I have de signed the improved form of vapor-burning apparatus illustrated in accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which- 7 Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my apparatus used as a lamp. Fig. 2 is a crosssection looking upward on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the lamp-top, showing the adjustable ring for controlling the size of the air-openings into the regenerative-chamber. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the thimbles connecting the two plates of the lamp-top.

Throughout the drawings like referencefigures refer to like parts.

. thimbles 3 3. I

4: 4: represent sections of the vaporizingt-ube 5, which are attached to the under side of the lower plate 1 in any suitable manner, but which are preferably cast integrally with said plate, as shown. portion of said tube, extending to the nozzle 8, which is controlled by any suitable valve,

preferably by a needle-valve 9, as shown. The adjustment of this needle-valve is by means of the thread 10 on the stern of the valve, which engages with the corresponding thread in its casing, while the rotation of the stem is produced by the beveled gear 11, meshing with the beveled gear 12 on the shaft 13, which is rotated by the grooved pulley 14, over which runs the chain or cord 15, or in any other convenient manner. Wheel '11 slides up and down on a feather 11.

The various sections 4 4:, 850., of the vaporizing-tube have exterioropenings in line with the axes thereof, although the various sections are connected consecutively, so as to afford a continuous passageway from the reservoir 5 through the vaporizing-tube 5 to the discharge-nozzle 8. These exterior openings are normally closed by screw-plugs 7 7 or other convenient means.

16 is the oil-supply pipe, running from the reservoir 5 to the vaporizing-tube 5.

17 represents a perforated circular band surrounding and bridging the space between the two plates 1 and 2, having elongated holes 18 formed therein, and which holes register with holes 19 19 in the flange on plate 2, whereby when said band is moved by means of the knob 28 the size of the openings from the eX- terior air to the regenerativechamber be- 6 is the discharge-pipe tween said plates may beadjusted by the operator.

extend sundry branch pipes 22 ,22 to burners IOO 23 23. 24:24: represent wire-gauze located in' said branch tubes or in the burner-pipes.

25 25 represent brackets for supporting the wires 26 26, from which depend the incandescent mantles 27 27.

29 is a reservoir containing alcohol and asbestos wicking 30, which is to be lighted when the lamp is to be started into operation] .This reservoir is preferably located directly beneath the vaporizing-tube 5 and may be fed by the tube 31, which runs out to a funnel 32, placed at any convenient point on the exterior of the lamp.

The method of operating my invention is clear from the foregoing description. The reservoir 5 being filled with kerosene, naphtha,or any hydrocarbon which will flow down through the supply-pipe 16 the various sections 4 4 of the vaporizing-tube 5 are filled with the fluid hydrocarbon. On starting the lamp the alcohol in the reservoir 29 is ignited, and the flame therefrom soon heats the vaporizing-tube to the temperature necessary to vaporize the oil or other fluid hydrocarbon, which is then admitted to the tube, and by pulling on the chain 15 the needle-valve 9 is opened the required distance, and the vapor is discharged down into the mixing-tube 21. This acts'as an inspirator to draw in the air which has been confined between the plates 1 and 2 in a species of regenerative-chamber, where it has been heated by the same flame from the alcohol-reservoir. The mixture of hot vapor and hot air is then forced down the mixing-tube through the branches 22 22,

burner-pipes 23 23, and gauze 24 2a to the various burners, where it issues as a combustible mixture which may be ignited. The flame thus produced heats the incandescent mantles and produces the well-known incandescent light. The hot gases and air passing upward from said flame and mantles are largely compelled by the depending flange .1" to collect under the plate 1 and eventually pass up through the thimbles 3 3. Thus the oil in the vaporizing-tube and the air in the regenerative-chamber above are'heated and the oil vaporized, and the action of the lamp becomes self-supportin g.

The screw-plugs 7 7 may be removed from time to time and the sections of the vaporizing-tube cleaned by running any kind of a cleaning-brush or swab through them.

The needle-valve may be adjusted, as described, to regulate the amount of vapor fed to the burners, and if it is desirable to regu late the air-supply independently the shifting of the circular band 17 by means of the knob 28 will secure this result.

The advantages of my invention are cheapness, the greater portion of the lamp being made of cast-iron, ease in cleaning, and greater effectiveness in the vaporizing operation due to the length of the vaporizing-tube employed. The vapor being discharged into a long mixing-tube 21 the jet is effectively cushioned by the vapor already in said long tube, and the hissing sound noticeable in other similar lamps is absent.

Of course various changes could be made in the details of my invention so long as the relative arrangement and operation of parts are preserved.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. I11 a vapor-burning apparatus the combination of the burners and connections thereto, the regenerating-chamber formed by the space left between two parallel circular plates, located over said burners, the thimbles connecting said plates and forming passage-ways for the escape of the hot gases from the burners, the mixing-tube depending from the lower plate and connecting with the space between the two, and the vaporizing-tube supported against the under side of the lower plate and discharging into the mixing-tube, substantially as described.

2. In a vapor-burning apparatus, the combination of the burners and connections thereto, the regenerating-chamber formed by the space left between two parallel circular plates, located over said burners, the thimbles conv necting said plates and forming passage-ways for the escape of the hot gases from the burners, the mixing-tube depending from the lower plate and connecting with the space between the two, and the vaporizing-tube supported against the under side of the lower plate, and discharging into the mixing-tube, together with the valve which controls the discharge and mechanism for operating the valve mounted on the upper plate, substantially as described.

' 3. In a vapor-burning apparatus the combination of the burners and connections thereto, the regenerating-chamber formed by the space left between two parallel circular plates, located over said burners, the thimbles connectin g said plates and forming passage-ways for the escape of the hot gases from the burners, the mixing-tube dependingfrom the lower plate and connecting with the space between the two, and the vaporizing-tube supported against the under side of the lower plate and discharging into the mixing-tube, together with the air-openings to the regeneratingchamber and the perforated adjustable ring which surrounds said plates and controls the size of the air-openings to the space between said plates, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of'two wit-- nesses.

. ARTHUR KITSON.

WVitnesses:

A. PARKER SMITH, LrLrAn FOSTER. 

